[Providing athletes with trace elements during intensive exercise]

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Human Physiology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Athletes often have lower dietary intake of essential minerals like iron, copper, and manganese.
• Intensive exercise can significantly increase the excretion of these minerals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mineral balance of highly skilled athletes during and after intensive exercise.
• To assess the impact of dietary enrichment with iron, copper, and manganese on mineral retention.

Main Methods:

• Monitoring mineral intake and excretion (intestinal and renal) in athletes during a 30-km cross-country run and subsequent rest period.
• Analyzing the effects of dietary supplementation with a complex of iron, copper, and manganese.

Main Results:

• Athletes exhibited lower normal physiological ranges for dietary iron, copper, and manganese.
• Intensive exercise led to greater excretion than intake, resulting in negative mineral balances.
• Mineral losses were not compensated during the 3 days of rest after the race.
• Dietary enrichment with iron, copper, and manganese promoted their retention.
• Increased iron intake correlated with higher gastrointestinal excretion of copper and manganese.

Conclusions:

• Intensive endurance exercise in highly skilled athletes can lead to significant losses of iron, copper, and manganese.
• Dietary strategies involving mineral supplementation are crucial for maintaining adequate levels in athletes.
• Careful consideration of mineral interactions is necessary, as iron supplementation may affect copper and manganese balance.